It's not so much that the new kids stink but they simply won't have enough experience by the time of Sochi. Remember Kim and Mao had been to the previous 3 Worlds before the 2010 Olympics. Tuk and Adelina for instance have been to young to compete at Worlds until this season and Osmond and Gold have only just recently improved enough to have a chance to make it to Worlds this season. Yes none of those skaters are where Mao and Kim were at in terms of their skating in 2007 but all those skaters i just mentioned will most likely peak after Sochi.

I still think there's time for one or two of the Russian ladies to emerge as a medal threat. The Russian Fed will be lobbying hard for their skaters, and since the games are in Sochi the home skaters are likely to get a bump in the marks.

It's not so much that the new kids stink but they simply won't have enough experience by the time of Sochi. Remember Kim and Mao had been to the previous 3 Worlds before the 2010 Olympics. Tuk and Adelina for instance have been to young to compete at Worlds until this season and Osmond and Gold have only just recently improved enough to have a chance to make it to Worlds this season. Yes none of those skaters are where Mao and Kim were at in terms of their skating in 2007 but all those skaters i just mentioned will most likely peak after Sochi.

None of those skaters will ever be as good as Kim and Asada at their best were anyway, even though some will likely reach the top after Sochi yes. We should appreciate the chance of seeing all time greats Kim and Asada battle it out for gold one last time and savor it, if that is what happens. Anyway Kim has a real chance to cement herself the best skater ever if she wins the 2013 Worlds and 2014 Olympics, that is what most will consider her. That alone is reason enough for excitement, moreso than another 16 year old with little jumps and immature style being pushed to the top.

Anyway Kim has a real chance to cement herself the best skater ever if she wins the 2013 Worlds and 2014 Olympics, that is what most will consider her. That alone is reason enough for excitement, moreso than another 16 year old with little jumps and immature style being pushed to the top.

That still wouldn't match Witt's accomplishments (4 WTs, 2 OGMs). Yes, Witt's technical level is behind that of current top ladies but YuNa's will be one day as well.

That still wouldn't match Witt's accomplishments (4 WTs, 2 OGMs). Yes, Witt's technical level is behind that of current top ladies but YuNa's will be one day as well.

Please, nobody considers Witt the best ever today, nor Henjie who has an even better medal haul than Witt. The best ever to most people is one of Janet Lynn, Midori Ito, Yu Na Kim or Michelle Kwan. The reason being the ladies with the most medals like Henjie, Witt, Heiss, dont have the skating standard to be considered best ever, even with their medal hauls. However Kim if she wins the 2013 Worlds and 2014 Olympics would have both an exceptional technical and artistic skating standard, and a medal record which easily beats no Olympic Golds Kwan and crushes Ito and Lynn, so there could be no doubt really.

Regarding Witt it isnt just her technical standard being lower than skaters today. Her technical standard in the second half of her amateur career when she was still dominant was far below many ladies of her OWN era like Thomas, Ito, Manley, Kadavy or Leistner on a good day. She is not a great artistic skater either really, she had ugly and bad positions, and her basic skating was nothing exceptional. She won so much since she was an amazing competitor, a great star, great at theatrics on the ice, and she deliever all she could when it mattered most. However even in her own era she is regarded as the greatest competitor, not even the best skater. That is her biggest legacy, perhaps the strongest ladies competitor ever, and a great star who brought alot of interest to the sport, but not a phenomenal skater.

Miki sounded like she just wanted to finish her career on high note, in a national event i.e., Japanese Nationals and Japan Open, not in an international stage. So I gathered that olympic medal might not be in her mind.

Well that hasnt happened and clearly isnt going to happen with the so called "new crop" which at this point pretty much stink, so forget that idea. Best now they improve their skating and get it up to the standard they are atleast ready to lead post Sochi when nearly all the veterans likely retire. Better legend Kim, legend Asada, and Wagner (sort of new), battling it out, then Kostner with 80s jump content, 30 year old Suzuki, and semi retired 2004 Worlds contender Ando. Atleast be happy with the lesser of the 2 evils, since the latter is what you will be left with if Kim, Asada, and possibly Rochette dont return, not what you are hoping for with 16 year olds on top. None of Kim, Asada, Wagner, or even Suzuki would be in their 3rd Olympics btw.

Please, nobody considers Witt the best ever today, nor Henjie who has an even better medal haul than Witt. The best ever to most people is one of Janet Lynn, Midori Ito, Yu Na Kim or Michelle Kwan. The reason being the ladies with the most medals like Henjie, Witt, Heiss, dont have the skating standard to be considered best ever, even with their medal hauls. However Kim if she wins the 2013 Worlds and 2014 Olympics would have both an exceptional technical and artistic skating standard, and a medal record which easily beats no Olympic Golds Kwan and crushes Ito and Lynn, so there could be no doubt really.

Regarding Witt it isnt just her technical standard being lower than skaters today. Her technical standard in the second half of her amateur career when she was still dominant was far below many ladies of her OWN era like Thomas, Ito, Manley, Kadavy or Leistner on a good day. She is not a great artistic skater either really, she had ugly and bad positions, and her basic skating was nothing exceptional. She won so much since she was an amazing competitor, a great star, great at theatrics on the ice, and she deliever all she could when it mattered most. However even in her own era she is regarded as the greatest competitor, not even the best skater. That is her biggest legacy, perhaps the strongest ladies competitor ever, and a great star who brought alot of interest to the sport, but not a phenomenal skater.

You can't really compare someone like Carol Heiss with the skaters of today it was a different time and sport. However how good would Heiss have been if she had been born thirty years later? This is a woman who won 5 straight World championships something even Michelle Kwan didn't accomplish. That says something about how good she was and might have been in the modern era.